Aboard the Sister Ship Fleet, Ryan Davad piloted the Samaria towards the surface of Contruum with the monetary funds for Natalie Pearson. The atmosphere was warm as they headed directly for a secured position where the credits could be wired and transmitted to her personal accounts. Minutes later, the hatch opened and the warm air processed throughout Ryan's body._________________ Ryan Davad
Human Replica Droid
dubbed "Lord of Droids"

The air was warm, the sun shining and gleaming on a world that seemed more maintained than what Ryan had believed. Instead of paranoid, chaotic conditions with an invasion fleet in orbit minutes earlier... the civilization seemed more relieved that the vessels were gone, but no other actions seemed to have been taken. No signs of military involvement or anything...

Ryan continued in full cybernetic body armor towards the bank terminal that had been arranged. Natalie had lived to her end of the agreement, and now, Ryan would fulfill his end of the bargain.

Typing at a super human rate, the secured transaction processed, and was sent. Task Complete.

With a final movement, the band of invaders returned to their vessels. Ryan took one last look at the planet, he had wanted to see the capital of Calias Ketra, an accomplishment of the man Arlyn used to love....

"Ryan?" Eve asked through their internal connections. Ryan continued forward, not answering the distant supercomputer.

The Sister Ship Fleet fired their engines and one by one they took off and into the atmosphere....

With a flick of five hyperdrives, they were enroute to Denon._________________ Ryan Davad
Human Replica Droid
dubbed "Lord of Droids"

Last edited by Ryan Davad on Tue, June 19th 2007 07:39pm; edited 1 time in total

Fleet engines roared, as the Alessandra nuzzled into it's position. They were going to Corellia to meet one of Arlyn's contacts, and with any luck they wouldn't run into any kind of Imperial war vessels. "Do you have a name?" Karlos pondered aloud, asking the clone directly.

"I do," he answered, his sight didn't leave the data padd in front of him.

"What motivates you to follow orders? Was it because you were bred to do so?" Karlos taunted, though carefully so, as he knew the clone was trained in lethal combat.

With a smirk he answered, "Before I answer, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead."

"Why does the cousin of the late Calias Ketra serve with a woman that not than a year later, married, and a year later, bore children of this man? And shortly after, nearly erased his name from all, but the most advanced archives?" his face went from humorous, to serious.

Karlos pondered this thought, biting his lip for a moment before he chose to answer, "You have a good point. I didn't know she was erasing records, though. That concerns me..."

"It should, though I'll answer that for you. She is attempting to ensure that her position is unquestioned, because by the right of geonosian law, you would have control," the clone's humorous demeanor returned, and relaxed against the pilot's seat.

Karlos sat incredulously, almost grinning as wide as his clone companion. If that were true, he had more power than the deranged wingbat at home, and more so, he controlled her entire little faction, without even knowing it. It was, however, a morbid thought of attempting to take that position away from her.

"Correct me, if I'm wrong," Karlos continued the thought, attempting to bring clarity to his understanding, "Wasn't Arlyn granted the position of the 'Lady of Geonosians' at the same time Calias received 'Lordship'?"

"Yes and no," the clone corrected almost immediately, "To the geonosians, the Archduke is the most powerful position on the planet, and that remained correct, until a ceremony was held by Toggle the Higher, and he transferred his power to Calias. And until Calias married Arlyn, her title was purely honorable, yet totally powerless."

Karlos nodded, though he still didn't understand, "Wasn't she given the same power several months later, when she rose from her bed, and accepted to bring vengeance, and prosperity to the people?"

"True, she was. In a way," the clone was more apt to this knowledge, then perhaps anyone in the galaxy, "But the geonosians do not honor a dual leadership position. When she accepted the Rebellion's Security Chief position, she relinquished her role as the true Lady, though, she held the title as an honorary gesture, and most still remember her prominent position there. Even Imperials still use Lady, unless you refer to their slang usage of 'Bitch of Geonosis'."

Karlos leaned back against his chair even further, ignoring the automatic slip into hyperspace, "But how does that put me into any kind of position of power?"

"The geonosians operate on a caste system, which Arlyn quickly adjusted, and added more 'diplomatic' and 'working class' benefits. The aristocrats represent only ten percent of the population, with the rest working nearly their entire lives to 'better the hive'. The real power, however, rested with the Queens, the egglayers. She gathered their support, which is quite rare in their history.

"She eventually dissolved most of the aristocrat positions, but she didn't abolish the law that power could be transferred across eggline, but it no longer limited a low-life worker insect from the gladiator rings, or becoming a prominent member within the high class," the clone stopped, hoping Karlos would connect the dots, but he continued instead, "So effectively, Karlos, because Calias died, you are the only family member alive that still holds Lordship on the planet. With the aristocats frail and barely holding on to their power and jurisdiction... you stand unopposed.

"You are the one loophole, that could change everything. The droids are programmed to... 'follow the leader', and so are my brothers and sisters. The clones. In a single announcement, you could take the navy, the army, and the secretive government of Coronus.

"IF you wanted," the clone stopped before removing his blaster, and as if he was in training, began to clean the weapon.

Karlos faced the blue warp of stars, and only answered, "Thank you. You've given me a lot to think about."

Last edited by Karlos Ketra on Fri, October 24th 2008 03:15pm; edited 1 time in total

Karlos had pondered the information his clone companion had provided, and with each passing hour, he grew more and more tempted to blackmail the thanagarian into letting him off these little missions every now and then. He played with the console, before he noticed the ship had slipped out of hyperspace. Moments later, the Sister Fleet was around them, and one of the leading vessels hailed and contacted CorSec, and other proper channels. They were cleared promptly, no doubt a long range sensor checked their vessels for any kind of suspicious armory, obviously failing to find any.

"Setting course for Corfai," the clone stated over the comm channel, knowing from this point on, he was in command. Karlos was supposed to report the clone's personality, his orders, and his overall adaptation to life outside the cloning chambers. He had believed the clone would be more wide-eyed, almost ecstatic to venture into new worlds, and meet different looking people... but, at last, he betrayed none of these thoughts.

"Are you excited?" Karlos asked nonchalantly, acting as though he was flipping an important switch.

"Not really. Corfai is only a quarter of Corellia's beauty, so I have nothing to look forward to," the clone answered, his voice not hinting towards anything to the contrary.

"I am, I haven't been on Corai. Heard about it, but never actually visited the planet," he hummed as the ships entered the planetary atmosphere, and towards the pre-paid space port. Even though the Corellians remained neutral in the war, they had kept the identity of the Sister Fleets under an alias....

The world had collected many species from the Corellian sector, most of the less spoken creatures walking about, and they even held interesting conversations. It wasn't better than Corellia, a human filled world, but it would do. Their contact was Talon Karrde, leader of the smuggler alliance, and a prized Imperial informant.

The only problem, greatly displayed in Arlyn's private transmissions with the man, he wished to remain neutral. He didn't want to give either side an advantage that would have him hunted by the other. It was respectable, but overly boring on the otherhand.

Arlyn had suspected that the revelation of Palpatine returning to his Empire, may slide the man to appreciate the rebel's point of view. OR, he would be too scared to act, and that was why the most persuasive clone, designed for diplomacy (and if that failed, assasination).

They weren't going to kill Karrde, however, as he still provided the Rebellion with information, but Karrde may hold the key to what Yoogle described as vastly important.

The Sister Fleet formed a tight formation, their navigational computers uploaded the new set of coordinates as Karlos eyed the clone commando. "You wanna tell me exactly what Karrde was being asked?" The clone shook his head, the typical "everything-is-on-a-need-to-know-basis" attitude, was really rattling the wrong cage. Karlos growled under his breath, setting the proper buttons, and checking the necessary screens, "Hyperspace ready, sir." He exaggerated, pissed that Arlyn had somewhat sidestep his leadership on his ability by placing this shifty-clone bastard.

It wasn't the clone that Arlyn was testing, it was himself. She baited him with such crucial, almost vital knowledge of inner Zerconian Command, and the clone is watching his every reaction. As the blue realm of hyperspace overtook them, Karlos decided he wouldn't play into her hands, but would mock as though the mission went without a hitch. "I thought a lot about what you said, cloneman, and I think I'll just leave Arlyn doing her thing. She can play the geonosian boss card for as long as she wants, because I don't really mind being a pawn. I get all the tail in the galaxy I want, and a nice paycheck.... plus, zero responsibility."

Edward returned a smirk, his posture finally relaxing, "You know, if she actually thought you would attempt a military takeover of Coronus, she would have never bailed you out of that prison. No, there is another purpose, but to be perfectly honest with you, I have no idea what that is. I'm glad you came to that conclusion though, can't say I would feel safer under your rule, than hers though. All these dangerous, crazy adventures... I was only born a year ago, and my life is dedicated to her service... and with where we are going, I wish it wouldn't be so short-lived."

Sympathy, or manipulation. Possibly even both, because this clone was just that damn good at it, but Karlos checked the destination meter and changed the subject, "Leria Kerlsi... what does she want with that planet?"

"I no longer feel the need to keep you out of the loop on this one, but it holds a small settlement of Life-bearers. They are a near-human species, with special abilities. Three of them wish to live on Coronus, and serve Arlyn. In the years to come, Arlyn believes more will seek to join them."

"Life-bearers?" Karlos questioned, but noticed the itinerary only had them on the planet for two hours, "Wait a minute, where are we going after that?"

"Caamas," Edward answered quickly, "A Bothan leader seeks the ailment of his people, and we are going to deliver him straight to Bothawui."

"In exchange-"

"Arlyn seeks personal stealth technology, and it'll be a token of great importance if she delivers the man." The clone answered quickly, and before Karlos could ask the additional question, Edward quickly raced through the to-do list, "Then to Tepasi, where we will collect a freighter's cargo worth of achtnaks.... predators, to please Geonosis, and continue their wild support and fulfill the average factory worker's entertainment needs..."

His voice drifted while he corrected several computer beeps, "Then to Jagga-Two, where we will seek a missile contract for our droids, and special weaponry for Coronus moon emplacements, then to meet an Orooturooan warlord, and seek information about Nubis Serin, and finally, we will land on Velusia, and prepare for our voyage to the very heart of the Empire: Coruscant."

"CORUSCANT!" Karlos spit the water across the control panel, "You can't be serious, she can't be sending us there. We'll be killed!"

"The Empire does not know your name, nor do they hold any record of your existence. Neither of mine. We will do just fine, besides, she will be coming with us."

"Arlyn...is going to Coruscant?" Karlos couldn't believe what he was hearing, and his jaw dropped when the clone nodded...